This invention relates to a reel driving method for a tape recorder and a driving mechanism for its practice.
There is a known reel driving method for a tape recorder in which a desired one of a pair of reels is driven by rocking a rockable support lever on which a single idler is mounted. In this conventional reel driving method, the rotatory force of a capstan shaft is transmitted to the idler by an endless belt or a gear train, for example. As the support lever is rocked, the idler is pressed against a member, e.g. a reel drum, which is coaxial with the desired reel, and thus the desired reel is driven. Since the pair of reels are substantially spaced apart from each other, however, the support lever need be fully rocked so that the idler may be pressed against the desired reel. Such rocking motion of the support lever requires a large setting area involving substantial dead space. Thus, according to such a prior art reel driving method, it is hard to provide a compact tape recorder due to the large setting area of the reel driving mechanism. Moreover, the idler support lever is rocked by a manual input, such as the sliding force of a control button. Therefore, the prior art reel driving method requires a mechanism for transmitting the manual input to the support lever, complicating the tape recorder in structure. Further, the need of the manual input is consistent with the substitution of a touch-switch for a manual operating button, such as a push button or slide button, constituting a hindrance to the simplification of structure.